Puff-brushing machine



.Fufly 26, 1949.

Filed Jan. 17, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. flag/4k A %&hnime IITTORNEX I 26, 1949. .1. E. VALENTINE 2,477,154-

PUFF BRU SHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 urlrlilumums d INVENTOR.

441a E W/mfafie W L JWAM.

ATTORNEY July 26, 1949.

J. E. VALENTINE PUFF-BRUSHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 17, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 17, 1948 IN V EN TOR. 1mm fl'filenime July 26,. 1949. J. E. VALENTINE 2,477,154

PUFFrBRUSI-IING MACHINE Filed- Jan. 17. 1948 6 sheets-sheet 5 July 26, 1949. J. E. VALENTINE 4 2,477,154

PUFF-BRUSHING, MACHINE F i'led Jan. 17, 1948 e Sheets-Sheet 6 IN VEN TOR.

Jase M 1 Va/m/m/ BY m L. M

HTTORNEY Patented July 26, 1949 a Josenlu'E; Valentine;,;West Caldwell, N. J., as-

sigmor,- byzmesne assignments, to Yaleourt; 1nd,.

Boonton,

-. .L acorporation. oiNew Jersey Airwoman-Tammy- 17, 1948, Serial No. 2,864

This invention relates .tna pufif-bmshing machine, that is, amaohine: designedto-hmsh. out. the rsurface napiof, cosmetic puffs; anpart aizthe finishing, ogerations intheir. .manu-factuse: optionally the. machine; may be equipped to Him the peripheriesoithepufi's-atter thesuriace nap has been brushed out. 7 7

Gosmetiopufis, used;for.:applying-nowder;to=the skin, are. manufactured in. enormous quantities and of a variety ofmaterials; Theythave-in gent-'- erala surfaee-ot-long fibers inthe form otxwwoolz or nap; which. temporarilyretains nowder. but. readily gives ituplwhen; patted on theslein. This surface; may, {on example, beta natural woola sunface, or maybe the nappedz surface of. a wool, COttQI11-Q other fabric-.; While such puffs: be,of anyashape, by ianthegreatima jerityamanuffacturedare cimular, and-,my machineis: partioulai ly adanted tors-finishing: circular puffs.

Powder puifs are generally of multivlayera COR?" struct ionqand have. some iormsoi backing-applied to the-faoelayer to facilitate use, andiimpmve-ap pearance. The completeguff may consist GfIfaBB andbacking; and aplurality of intermediatelaye ss, orfm'ay consist simply'ofa fade-layer anda-backw ing,. such as. casdboardgapplied directly: to.- the, back of the mapped face material. l uifs are made: in. various sizes, oustomaigily item; about 1% inches to about 3 inches indiametei. I machine: is, adapted'to bigush or brush, andtri-m puffszof; vai'y'i'n'g sizea'ndooiistruction In manufacture, the component parts .of the, pufiare cut. out assembled and-f voemeniuad. or otherwise fastened together-.. The. fib.ers..of, the: nap forming the. faoeofi the pufiarethembnushed. out radially ii'om the.oent'erv and anepreierably: t 'immea .at the, peripher lib piev idei anredge oi evenicontour. These, steps may all? be: pe formed. by hand; Jby machine or. by various, combinations ethand and'maohine woi'k. V

It is one object of'my invention: tdprovide a machine Capable oiiapidly and, economically bmshing, out they nap fibers .ofv "a powder pufiJra: dially from the center. to ensure a pleasing and useful w I 7 It is another ohjeotoif J invention to provide a machine oi this type-,thati-willoneiatev auto, matioally. I

It. is warmer objotof my invention to. provide a machine of ,thistype inwhich may conveniently be included. means for tninimingthe-pufispeniph erally.

Qther obj ects and advantages will-be: apparent,

fpom the following-disclosure, to these skflled-in the art.

' 9 Claims-.. (01. se -2a)- mach-ins izoin'iirises essentially tunet r6"- tatd inter-mitteiitlyaround a 'veitit'zal aids, anumberof rotatable vacuum oliueks 'cairiedhv tneaturrt, a pmraii'ty: of circular brushes iotated at"aielativelyhighspeea the pei'iiiheiie' iii? which are'adapted to he engag d with and disengaged from 'thesur faoes of powder'iauifs nai'i'ied bythe rotating GlflilckS', unlbaiiihg i n-eans ior-rcmovian finished pun-s fi oiii the machine; ma i-suitableautomatic devices-ion@onti-onin tiie action oi'tns machine together with power means ray-sperm Hag-it, as iiiustrateti peiow. thee-'mhodimeht assented, rotatin shearsare also: pi'vided to train the. befiiiheii'esof the suns.

The followingdesiirii ition of one embodiment of; my in-vention intended to-he iiiustiative only and mitts umit its-sco e, which is defines iii: the: appended claims.

In the. drawings 1 is a reaf-viewnf mymaemne, mostlyifi: section;

is: a front: View;

Fig. 3 is a top view, partly cutaway;

Fig. 141-118 a section om line- 42-4; of Fig; 1; 'l iigzs'iisaesideview ofa-o'ne of-the brushing units;- aEi '6: isz-a, side View of the trimming unit? Fig :3: is a side view of the unloading unit 81 is'ia; ViGW-Ofithli Geneva turret drive;

Eigi 9fis aview; partly in section, of a. puff held its a. vacuum. chunk: while; being brushed;

Fig lflzisaazview of. one ofthe circular brushes,"

:-Fig. L1? issa' view: of: the puff ielease oam meiiha ana,

:Eig. i 1:2: 3 section: (ma-line li -4 2- f Fig.

Thamachine as" described below has. live; on

' eratingstationsr loading station a; first brushing station 22; second bmshing station o, trimming station d3,anddisohaigostation e. Structutaliy or functionally. identical elements associauaeii with these stations will: be severally identified by the same: numericalindex followed'tespectivly; Wheie': necessary for clarity, by the letters a, b, c, d and? referring. respectively to the me stations; and will be; referred to: genefioally by the appropriate numerical iiidex aloner a The suppotting'fr-amewor'k of mymacmnecon sistsmssentiallyof aaloase plate: l axmiddle plate ,2 and"an .upper' plate 13;.mounted on four le'gsd; allioiz' cast iron: This: framework'is supported; anany suitable stablerfoundation 5,.:suchass'a com-- cretelblockr Centrallysupported inr-this framework cast:

aluminum turret. .6; intermittently: rotatable:

and spaced equiangularly. The upper cylindrical end of the turret is journaled in bearing 9 formed in a boss in upper plate 3; the lower end rests on ball thrust bearing l and is pinned to center shaft II, which passes downward through the thrust bearing, through middle plate 2 and through bottom plate i, being journaled in bushed bearings l2 and [3 in these plates. 1 Thrust bearing I0 is supported on a boss "formed in middle plate 2.

Two annular webs l4 and I5 and a bracket 16 are formed integrally on the bottom of base plate I; these serve to carry fixed bearings as described below.

The framework is enclosed by lower guard I1 and upper guard I8 and the bottom protected by gear cover I 9.

The general framework of the machine having been described, its further detailed construction can most clearly be explained in connection with its operation. This may be made clear by tracing the power input into the machine from the several electric motors used to operate it.

The main drive shaft 20, journaled in bearings 2|, 22 and 23, positioned respectively in bracket I 6and webs l5 and i4, is driven at a regulated speedof about -40, R. P. M. This is advantageously accomplishedby coupling the shaft to an electric motor through a stepless change-speed device and speed reducer of conventional form (not shown).

I Drive shaft 20 carries, fixedly pinned to it two small bevel gears 24 and 25. Gear 24 meshes with gear 26 of likepitch diameter fixedly pinned to vertical shaft 21. The latter is journaled in two bearings 28 and 29 mounted respectively in base plate I and middle plate 2. Mounted fixedly on shaft 2'! between plates I and 2 is 2. Geneva drive pinion consisting of an upper plate 30, a lowerplate 3|, 2. Geneva segment 32, and a roller pin 33. Also fixedly mounted on shaft 27, but

above plate 2, is cam 34, having an upward-facing operating surface Bevel gear 25 on the inboard end of shaft 20 meshes with bevel idler gear 36 rotatably mounted on the lower reduced end of shaft l l. and-retained thereon by screw 37 and washer '38. Idler gear 36 in turn meshes with three bevel gears 39b, 0 and 6., each of identical pitch diameter with gear 25. Each of the three gears 39 is pinned respectively to one of three short rotatable radial shafts 46b c,and d, journaled in bearings 4| and 42b, 0, and d, positioned in webs l4 and |5. Pinned to the middle portion of each shaft 4%, c and dis a bevel gear respectively 43b, 0 and d of like pitch diameter. Each of the bevel gears 43 engages a bevel gear of like pitch diameter, such as 442), pinned respectively to the bottom ends of three short vertical shafts 45b, 0 and d journaled in bearings such as 4% and 41?), positioned respectively in base plate I and middle plate 2. a

From the above it will be seen thatwhen the main drive shaftis rotated at30.40.R. P. M., vertical shafts 21 and 45b, 0 and at will be simultaneously rotated at the same. angular speed.

On the upper end of each of the three vertical shafts 45b, 0 and d is pinned a spur gear, such as 48b; each of such spur gears engages a pinion such as 491), of. one-third its pitch diameter, pinned to the lower end of each of'the short vertical shafts 50b, 0 and d, iournaled in bearings such as 5lb positioned in upstanding bosses integral with middle plate 2. At the upper end of each of the three vertical shafts 50 is pinned a segment '32.

4. grooved sheave 52b, 0 and 0! provided with a rubber tire 53b, 0 and d. The vertical shafts 50 will thus rotate simultaneously with shafts 45 but at three times their angular speed.

The system of shafts and gearing so far described, being journaled in bearings positioned in the framework of the machine, all rotate in fixed positions. 1 i a.

The turret 6 is'rotated intermittently'by means of a five-point Geneva star gear 54 fixedly pinned to turret shaft ll between plates l and 2. The position of the Geneva gear is such that it extends between plates 36 and 31 of the Geneva "pinion, its slots 55 mesh with the pinion roller pin 33 and its arrest arcs 56 mesh with Geneva The'Geneva gear 54 is so positioned angularly with respect to turret 6 that, during the intermittent positions of rest of the latter,

' the turret arms 8a, b, c, d, e will all be at operating stations.

Each of the five turret arms 8 carries an identical :rotatable'vacuum chuck 51a, b, 0, (Le, illustrated in detail at unloading station e. Each chuck has an interchangeableface plate 58 having a central flat and shallow recessed portion 59 of a size adapted to receiveand center the backing layer of a powder pufi; face plates of various sizes and designs may be used to suit the particular puffs being processed. Each face plate has a threaded central hole 60 by which it is screwed to the threaded upper end of a rotatable spindle 6|. A set screw 62 holds it fast on the spindle.

Each spindle 6| is journaled in a bearing 63 formed in a boss integrally cast at the outboard end of each turret arm 8. At the upper and lower ends of each boss 64, spindle 6| passes through stuffing boxes 65 and 66 to ensure effective action of the vacuum as described below. Each spindle 6| is retained in vertical position by means of a collar 67 afiixed to spindle 6! by set screws and bearing on gland nut 68 of stuffing box 65. On the lower end of each spindle 6| is keyed a rubber-tired sheave 69 in a position adapted, as turret 6 is rotated, to engage and be driven successively by sheaves 52b, c and d at stations b, c and d, illustrated for station b in Fig. 1.

Spindles 6| perform two additionalfunctions besides rotatively supporting-face plates 58; they serve as guides for discharge pins 10 and as ducts for the regulated application of suction to puffs on the face plates. Y

For the first purpose they are drilled axially to receive pins 10 with a sliding fit] in the upper portion, the bore being enlarged in its'lower portion to accommodate compression spring H, which bears against the upper end 'of sleeve 12 pinned to the lower end of'pin H1. Pin 10 is provided at its upper end with a fiat head 13, and the effect of spring H is to depress pin 10 and seat its head in recess l4 in the spindle.

For the second purpose spindles 6| are drilled lengthwise to form a ring of fourlongitudinal ducts open at their upper ends and communicating at their lower ends with circumferential recesses 16; these recesses register with ducts l1 drilled radially in each arm 8 of the turret.

The vacuum connections toturret arms 8 are as follows: The top ofturrent bearing 9 in plate 3 is provided with a pipe adapter 18 in which is fitted a pipe 19 communicating with any suitable source of suction (not shown). The upper end of turret -6is providedwith an axial duct 80, open at the top to provide communication with pipe 19, and communicating near its bottom with ermine five radial ducts 81a, b, c, d and e. Rlaterhis' provided on its. under side with centralstufling box- 82 through which passes the upper cyline drlcal end of turrett- Each radial duct 8.] connects. througha short nipple with. one of five standard vacuum valves. 83a, 19, c, d' and'e pro.- vided with. spring-loaded plungers Ma, '1), c, d and e. the downward-directed cam face 85 of fixed-annular cam 8tmounted on the under surface of The valves. are so constructed that when p1ate'9. the plungers are depressed against their springs,-

the valves are open; when the plungers rise,';the;

valves areclosed. Face 85: of cam B-tis soformed that the plungers are depressed and the valves.

open when corresponding radia1 arms 8 are at stations I), c and d, and the plungers raised: and valves, closed when the corresponding radial.

arms 8- are at stations 6 and a. Each of the valves 93 is connected with radial ducts ll through short ducts such as 99 by a length-of rubber vacuum hose 8?, such as 816, and suitable nipples. It will thus be seen that by action of 86 on 'plungers 84 suction is applied to the face plate of each chuck through hose 81, ducts.

The. motor shaft carries. a; sheave 99 connected by a drive belt 9|, passing through an opening in, plate 3, with sheave 92' pinned to short shaft 93. Shaft 93 is rotatably mounted in bracket 94 bolted through slots.- in plate 3-to motor-plate 89f and at its opposite end from sheave 92 carries sheave 95, also pinned toit. One end of an armad is pivotally mounted on shaft 93 by means. of.

a hearing which supports the arm, allows it to pivot about the shaft and also allows the shaft toyturn freely. At the opposite end of the arm. another short shaft 91' is rotatably mounted near its mid point in a bearing carried by the arm- This shaft carries sheave 98 at one end and brush. 99at-the other. Sheaves 95-and 98 are connected by drive belt I99. Sheave 92 has the same pitch diameter as sheave 90;, and sheave 98 as sheave 95. Accordingly, operation of the motor'99 rotates brush 99 at the same angular velocity as that of the shaft ofm-otor 89, e. g. 1750 R. P. M., while permitting the position of the brush to be altered around the axis of shaft 93 without :disturbing the tension of belts. 9| and Hill. The brushing units are so positioned on plate 3 that, when arms 96 are in an approximately horizontal position and When the chucks are at brushing stations I) and c, brushes 99, to be further described below, will normally be tangent tothe surfaces of powder puffs held on the face'plates 58gof chucks El. The slots in top plate 3, through which motor plates 89 andbrackets 94v are bolted,

permit adjustment of the brushing units--motor,

motor plate, bracket and brush with associated brush-drive elements-radially of the chucks at the brushing stations. 7

Each; of the two arms 95 is further connected:

to the bottom of-plate 3 by a tension spring lfll of sufficient strength to bias the arms upwards.

- The: vertical angular position ofv arm 95 iside- These plungers bear continuously against" tenni'ned bya tension its l wgrock'er arm I103? and cam HM pinned to'the upper end of shaft 45 extending above plate 2. .Adjustably threaded on rod I112 are-upper cievis M4 and lower clevis I051; the former is pivotall connectedtoarm 96 byicleviss'pm we, the latter to one end. of lever M3 by clevis pin I91. 'Lever 1.93 is supportedand pivoted near its. midpoint on pin. 199 mounted iabracket I 99 bolted on the upper side of plate 2; At-. the end away from clevis pin [01 lever I93 a roller 1 I59. on pin till, the roller bearing on upward directed cam face ill of cam HM.

Erom the previous description of the inter mittent turret driveand the chuck-rotating drivegit will be seenthat cam Hi l rotates once for each three rotations of chuck 5.1 when rotating means iifland 52- are engaged; cam .IM also rotates once with each revolution of Genevav pinion-3013,3, i. e. with each intermittent onefifth revolution of. turrent 6. Cam face H21 is made'withra raised segment and a depressed seg ment; the former acts through roller H9, arm tldand rod :92 against spring NH to draw brush. 99,v on arm 96 into brushing posit-ion; when roller l-;l=6;- bears on the latter, spring llll draws. brush.

.9; upwards clear of the chuck and of the puff held by-it. The angular extent and position, of the raised. and depressed segments of the cam. ai'fl s lch that the brush. is raised during the period when the turret 6 is in motion. A raised cam se ment of 216? are has given good results in: the machine described; the remaining 144 of are areoccupied by the depressed segment formed. in h an easysymmetrical falling andrising. curve- The-trimming unit is in some respects similar. to; thebrushing units, having its-own motor drive; but no; cam-operated engaging and disengagingdevice isr-needed in this unit. The unit, comprises essentially.- anelectric motor H3 connected by a.

drivabelt H4 torotating shears ll;5. Motor H3 is-bolted-fast tomotor-plate H 6, which inturn is adjustably mounted on top plate 3 by bolts passing through slots H5! in plate 3; the direction of; adjustment, is-radial-with respect to chuckface plate; 158d-at the trimming station. The rotating shears H 5; are mounted-on a depending bracket HJr boltedfast .to motor plate H6 through slots in. plate 3 Thus by-loosening the motor plate bolts? the trimming unit-motor, belt drive and shears-wan be adjusted radially of chuck face Belt H l, passing through a suitable opening in plate 3 is-drivenby sheave H8 on shaft of motor lpl-3 and drive shears sheave H9 pinned to shears shaft I Zil. The latter is rotatably supported; in bearings t2] mounted in the lower end of. bracket: H1; Fixedly mounted on the end of sha t- [201 opposite sheave H9 is star wheel 122 having four, radialzshearblades I23; these blades are giveni a: slight spring bias out of the plane of the-wheel away from bracket H1 so that they engage fixed; bladev I24; with a slight wiping actiorr similar to that, of ordinary hand shears.

Blade |-24;isfiXed1y, mounted on a. side extension l25 ,of: bracket, H1. Sheaves H8'and H9 have the-samepitch diameter; accordingly shears star wheel I22: is rotated at the same rate as the shaft of; motor.- H3; e; g. 1750 R. P. M.

Eachbrush 99: comprises a wooden wheel I26 abouta /zinchess in diameterfand inch thick mounted 'ona. steel hub 121, which in turn is fixedlyrmountedon shaft 9! by means of set screw I28"; Around the periphery of wheel I26 is tacked arubber-and-fabric tape I-29 in which are anchored fine flexible upstanding wire bristles I;-

The tape and bristles are thus readily replacee able when worn. In brushing position brush 99 rotates in a vertical plane radial to the chuck at that brushing station, and bristles I30 lightly contact the nap I 3I of a pufi I32 having a backing I33 and held by vacuum in the chuck at that station as shown in Fig. 9; while the brush is rapidly rotated in its vertical plane on horizontal shaft 91, chuck and puff are relatively slowly rotated by wheels 52 and 69 around a vertical axis, completing about 2 /2 revolutions while the brush is in contact with the chuck at this station. This has the effect of brushing the nap fibers of the puff radially outward from the center.

Two successive operations, as at stations 72 and 0, have been found desirable to produce a satisfactorily finished product. With relatively small puffs it has been found satisfactory to adjust both brushes (as above explained) so that they contact the puffs near their centers. With larger puffs it is desirable that one brush contact the puffs at or near their centers while the other, preferably the second at station 0, contacts them nearer their peripheries. The length and flexibility of bristles I30 and the depth of nap I 3| are sufiicient to provide a, considerable brushing area at each station. Depth of contact of brush in nap is regulated by appropriately positioning clevises I04 and I05 on the threaded ends of rod I02.

At trimming station it the motor and rotary shears are adjusted (as above described) so that the cutting edge of fixed blade I24 is tangent to the desired finished periphery of the pufis being treated. While the rotary shear blades I23 re- I volve at a relatively high speed, each puff as it is brought to the trimming station is rotated relatively slowly, as described above in connection with the brushing steps, completing about 2 /2 revolutions while being trimmed. This operation gives each puff edge a clean circular contour.

'When each puff is finished, i. e. brushed and trimmed, rotation of turret 6 brings it and its supporting chuck to rest momentarily at unloading station e. At this station the chuck is itself not rotated since wheel 69 is not engaged. Cam 34 is so fixed on shaft 21, that, as turret 6 comes to rest, cam face 35 lifts the outboard end of lever I34, pivoted on plate 2 at I35, by contact with lever roller I36. The rising of roller I36 raises push rod I0 against the bias of spring H by contact with cap I2, thus lifting rod head" above face plate 58; the vacuum having beenautomatically shut off at this point by the action of cam 86 on valve 83e, rod head 13 releases and raises the puff seated on the face plate. As the puff is raised a jet of compressed air from nozzle I37 blows the puff from the chuck into chute I38, through which it falls by gravity into a collecting bin not shown. This ejection of the puff is accomplished as follows: Seated on the upper side of lever I34 is roller I39 mounted on one end of jet valve lever I40; the latter is pivoted at its other end at I4I on extensions depending from the fixedly mounted body of jet valve I 42. This valve has spring-loaded plunger I43 seated on. the upper side of lever I40 and so arranged that, when it is raised against its spring, valve I42 is opened, while in its normal position the valve is closed. The outlet side of valve I42 is connected with jet nozzle I3! by pipe I44; the inlet side is connected by pipe I45 through air strainer I46 with a source of compressed air, such as a compressed air service line. This automatic action of air valve I42 thus operates to eject the pufi from the chuck, as it is released and raised by rod head 13, and to blow the puff into oiftake chute I38. Each finished Duff is removed from the machine in this way and a chuck is cleared to receive another unfinished puff as rotation of turret 6 carries it on to loading station a.

From the operatives point of view the operation of my machine is simple. At the start of a run on a given size of puff, the machine is adjusted. This is done first by selecting five face plates 58 of appropriate size to hold the pufis being finished, as shown in Fig. 9, and mounting these plates on the five chuck spindles 6| by means of threads 58 and set screws 52. The two brushing units and the trimming units are then adjusted in position on plate 3, as described above, so that the brushes contact the puffs in the desired radial positions and the rotating shears occupy the desired tangential position to the peripheries of the finished puffs.

After connecting suction pipe 19 with a vacuum source and pressure pipe I45 with a, compressed air source, as by opening conventional valves in connections to plant supply lines (not shown), power is applied to drive shaft 20 to rotate turret 6 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from above, and brushing and trimming motors 89b and c and II 3 are set in operation.

- As each chuck appears and is momentarily arrested at loading station a, the operator places an unfinished puff, nap side up, on the face plate seating the puff backing I33 in depression 59, as shown in Fig. 9. In advancing to the first brushing station b, vacuum valve 83 is opened by cam 86, thus sucking down the pufi and seating it firmly on the chuck face plate.

At brushing station I), rubber-tired sheave 69 engages rubber-tired sheave 52, whereby the chuck is rotated as described above.

While chuck and puff approach station b, cam I04 operates to raise rotating brush I26 above the nap surface of the puff and then to lower it into contact with the nap, as described above, after chuck and puff have been set to rotating. On completion of this brushing step, cam I04 raises brush I26 again, and chuck and puff are advanced to station 0 where the brushing is completed.

At trimming station d the chuck and puff are rotated in the same way as at the brushing station while the rapidly rotating shear blades I23, cooperating with fixed blade I24, trim the peripheral fiber ends to a smooth contour.

At brushing stations 17 and c and trimming station d, good results have been obtained with such chuck -rotation speeds as will provide 2 to 3 complete rotations of each puff during each actual brushing o1- trimming operation.

When chuck and puff reach discharge station e, vacuum is released by the closing of valve 83 through the action of cam 86 and natural leakage of air around and through the puff; simultaneously cam 34 raises rod I0, thereby lifting the puff from face plate 58, and immediately thereafter the puff is blown into chute I38 by a jet of compressed air from nozzle I31 through action of lever I48 opening valve I42 as described above.

The finished puffs fall through chute I38 into a bin or other suitable container (not shown), whence they are collected for packaging.

From this description it will be seen that I have invented a machine which automatically and rapidiy firfisnes powder puif's by brush ng out the nap surface and, ifdesiied, trimmingthe periphene's. It will be- 'obv1"ous to" those skilled in the art,- in the light of this disclbsure, that numerous be embodiment disclosedabovewithout departing from the spirit of invention, and 'mymvesuoa includes-such modifications within the scope or the appended claims and equivalents-thereof as limited only by thepr'ior art.

1. In a pu-fi -brushing'inahine' comprising an intermittently move-me chuck-carrying element, a chuck rotatably' mounted in saidelement and adapted to hold a pull, means to move said element intermittently to bring said chuck to and arrest it :at a plurality of workstations, and means "at one of the work stations adapted to rotate the were arrested at said star-ion, the improvement which comprises retractable brushing means at said work station having a rotatable brush the working. surface of which makes contact with the surface or a nerd in said chuck while arrested at said workstation, power means to rotate said brush, and retraction means operated in synchronism with the movements of the chuck-carrying element re retract the brush from its brushing position and: of the path of the iii-mick when the chuck is approaching amt leavsaiil work station- 2. A pun-brushing machine comprising in combination an intermittently rotatable chuckcarrying element, a plurality of chucks rotatably mounted on said element, each being adapted to hold a puif, means to rotate said element intermittently to bring each of said chucks in turn to and arrest it at each of a plurality of work stations, one of the stations being a loading station, one a discharge station, and at least one being a brushing station, rotating means adapted to engage and rotate each chuck at the brushing station but to be disengaged from each chuck at the discharge and loading stations, retractable brushing means at the brushing station having a rotatable brush the working surface of which makes contact with the surface of each puff held in each chuck while arrested at said brushing station, retraction means operated in synchronism with the intermittent rotation of the chuckcarrying element to retract the brush from its brushing position and out of the path of each chuck when each chuck is approaching and leaving said brushing station, and power means to rotate the chuck-carrying element, the chucks and the brush and to retract and engage the brush.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, in which the chucks are vacuum chucks, said machine being associated with a source of suction and further comprising a duct to connect each chuck with the source of suction, a valve in the duct associated with each chuck, and means adapted to close each valve when each chuck is arrested at the discharge station in synchronism with the intermittent rotation of the chuck-carrying element.

4. A machine as defined in claim 2, in which each puff is ejected from the machine at the discharge station by a jet of compressed air, said machine being associated with a source of air pressure and comprisin further a puiT-discharge opening, an air nozzle at the discharge station so positioned as to direct a jet of air across the face of a chuck arrested at that station towards the puff-discharge opening, a pipe 10 connecting the nozzle with thepsourceofiai'r pressure, a' valve in said pipeyanamesm' adapted to open saidvalve momentarily as each chuck is arrested at-the' discharge station synchrowith the intermittentrotation of the chuckcarrying element.

5. A machine as defined in claim 2-; in which the work stations comprise two like brushing stations and a trimming station, the trimming station being so positioned as to receive a puffsea-ring chuckfrom a'brushing station andbeing prbvided-with chuck rotatirig' means and power-e11 rotary shears adapted to'ngagthe penew or a puff rotated ma chuck-at a point tangent to the desired finished periphery of the 6:. In a puff -brushihg machine in which powder puffs held rotatable chucks are successively advanced to and arrested at aplurality of work stations, the improvement comprises: a hrushirigstati'orr, means to move a pun-bearing chuck to, arrest it at and move it awayrro'rn the brushing station, means to rotate-the chuck at a relatively low speed while arrested at the brushing: station, a retractable rotary brush adapted to make contact with the face of a means to rotate the-brush at a relatively high speed, means s y-n'ch'roni'zed with the ehueemovmg means to retract the brush fro'rncontact with the surface of a pufi entering or leaving the brushing station and 'to 'engagethe brush with the surface of' the slowly rotating pufi while arrested at the brushing station, and adjusting means adapted to permit positioning the brush radially of the rotating puff.

7. The method of finishing a pufi having a napped surface, which comprises: bringing a puff into a brushing zone while free of engagement with a brush, arresting the puff there and rotating it relatively slowly in its own plane, rapidly rotating a wheel-shaped brush in a plane perpendicular the plane of the puff, the brushing surface being on the periphery of the brush, engaging the rotating brush with the surface of the rotating puff to brush out the fibers of the latter radially towards the periphery, and disengaging the brush from the puff before moving the puff from the brushing zone.

8. The method of finishing a puff having a napped surface, which comprises: rotating a puff relatively slowly in a brushing zone, brushing out the fibers of the napped surface radially towards the periphery in an area near the center of the puff by engagement with a rapidly rotating brush, disengaging the brush from the pufi, moving the puff to a second brushing zone, rotating the puff relatively slowly in the second zone and brushing out the fibers of the napped surface radially towards the pheriphery in an annular area near the periphery by engagement with a second rapidly rotating brush.

9. A puff-finishing machine comprising in combination: a turret intermittently rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of vacuum chucks mounted equiangularly and equiradially on the turret, each chuck being independently rotatable about a vertical axis and adapted to hold a puff in a horizontal plane, a Geneva gear fixedly secured to the turret, a powered drive shaft, a Geneva pinion driven by the drive shaft and meshing with the Geneva gear on the turret, a plurality of work stations including a loading station, a discharge station and two brushing stations, the work stations being so positioned yvith respect to the Geneva gearing that each chuck issuccessively moved to and arrested at each work station, chuck-rotating means driven by geared connection with the drive shaft and adapted to engage and rotate in its own plane a pufi held by each chuck while arrested at each ery and rotatable at a high speed in a plane perpendicular to the plane of each pufi arrested at each brushing station, the brush being so mounted that in unretracted position its brushing surface makes contact with the exposed surface of each puff and the area of contact of brush is and pufi is adjustable radially of the 'pufi, a source of power to rotate the brushes, brush retracting means operated by geared connection with said powered drive shaft in synchronism with the movements of the turret to retract each brush out of contact with each puff and out of the path of each chuck while it moves to and away from each brushing station and engage each brush with a rotating pufi while each chuck is arrested at a brushing station, a source of suction, a duct connecting each chuck with the source of suction, a valve in each duct, valve-opcrating means adapted to maintain each valve in an open position while its associated chuck is at a brushing station, thereby holding each pufi firmly in its chuck by suction while being 12 brushed, and to close each valve while its associated chuck is at the discharge station, thereby relieving the suction on the pufiin th chuck, a puiT release member provided for each chuck, pull-release operating means actuated by geared connection with said powered drive shaft to release each pufi from a chuck while arrested at the discharge station, a source of air pressure, a puff-discharge opening, an air nozzle at the discharge station so positioned as to direct a jet of air across the face of a chuck arrested at that station towards the puff-discharge opening, a pipe connecting the nozzle with the source of air pressure, a valve in said pipe, and means adapted to open said valve momentarily as each chuck is arrested at the discharge station and after operation of the pull-release means in synchronism with the intermittent rotation of the turret, whereby each pull is ejected from the machine.

JOSEPH E. VALENTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,148,153 Eichenbaum Feb. 21, 1939 2,289,814 Wells July 14, 1942 

